Content

• Steps
• Advice

Do you often go shopping? Each time you go like that, do you just buy the items on the list or buy anything that looks attractive? Studies have shown that nearly half of consumers shop three to four times a week and shop 54% more than originally planned. To save time and money, knowledgeable people will choose to shop only once a month. Sometimes this sounds impossible, but you only need meticulous planning, efficient procurement, and storage of furniture to be successful. Why does it take the effort to buy four or five times a month when it's enough to go just once? If you plan ahead to make purchases once a month, you will be quite surprised with how much money you have saved at the end of the year.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Prepare to Shop

1. 

   
   
   Current stock inventory. To determine what to buy, you should make a list of available items. This helps to create a meal plan for the whole month. For example, if there is a lot of pasta in the cupboard, you should take advantage of this ingredient to cook many dishes that month. You need to determine in the closet, refrigerator, and freezer, including a separate freezer compartment if available to see what remains.

2. 

   
   
   Updating the list continuously. Unless you can check the availability of food, get ready to go shopping, and actually shop everything in one day (unlikely!), You should update the list every time you use it. food. This keeps your shopping list relevant and assists you in keeping track of your favorite and the unacceptable items.
   • Keep the list in plain view, like on the refrigerator.
   • Use colored chalk to write on the closet instead of the traditional food listing paper.

3. 

   
   
   Save the entire invoice. This step can serve as an effective tool for evaluating progress toward shopping once a month, or even if you want to improve your money-saving skills. You should keep all payments for one month.
   • Review all and mark essential items (things you use or consume completely).
   • Underline things you haven't touched during that month to keep track of the number of items you hastily bought and then didn't use once.
   • Check on the back of the bill for special coupons or discounts to avail them.

4. 

   Make the menu for the whole month. Keep in mind that for beginners this step can be quite time-consuming, but once you have your first month's meal plan in place, you can apply it to the following months. Some menu tips include:
   • View the schedule and planning around tasks and activities. For example, if you're going to have dinner for a friend's birthday this month, you don't need to plan that meal anymore.
   • When reading cookbooks or searching for recipes online, you should determine the actual amount of time you will allow preparing the meal.
   • Make full use of canned or bulk foods as these are often reasonably priced and do not spoil quickly.
   • Consider perishable foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
   • Choose recipes that can be used for a variety of dishes, such as preparing chili chili for crispy fries, pasta sauces, and more.

5. 

   Earn gift vouchers and advertisements at your local store. View groceries for stores that you often shop online or go directly to the store to save to a passbook. See which items are on sale while you go shopping, and update your meal plan if needed. You can stack gift vouchers that you did not use for the relevant month in your notebook or for another month; You should check the expiration dates before using them.

6. 

   List of purchases. You need to determine what needs to be replaced on the grocery list and what to buy in order to plan your meals. Write everything on a list, arrange the list in the order that suits you. For example, some people like to group the list of the different stores they prepare to go while others group the food (eg, dairy products, canned, etc.). .

7. 

   Add promotional and discount items to your purchase list. In the days leading up to your monthly shopping spree, you should integrate your store's promotional, discounted, and voucher items into each applicable item on the list. This helps you determine how much shopping it will cost and also facilitates a more seamless transaction process. If you find an attractive price at a competitive store, you can call the salesperson to ask if they apply the price as advertised; Some stores do, and others only offer promotions on certain days or certain types of items. advertisement

Part 2 of 3: Go shopping

1. 

   
   
   Plan to shop for the right day. Shopping during certain days of the week can save you even more. The midweek period is quite ideal for some additional promotions and less crowded shoppers. In addition, you can apply the following tips:
   • For most grocery stores, people usually lower the prices of products on Wednesdays, and the prices of some "running out" items are also reduced further.
   • Wednesday is also the day when most grocery stores launch new promotions, so you can get an extra discount if the store also applies the last week's discount.

2. 

   
   
   Go shopping alone. Many savvy consumers often recommend shopping alone to focus on efficient purchases without distraction. If you want to go with a friend or lover, let that person know about your shopping and savings goals. Let the person peek around while you scour the store; as long as you don't let the other person distract you from your list of things to buy! It is easier to follow a list and make effective purchases if you leave your kids at home.

3. 

   
   
   Buy frequently used items in bulk. Some products will be cheaper if purchased in bulk, saving you money and meeting your needs for more than a month. You should not buy a lot of perishable foods or items that you do not use often as it is wasteful. You should check to see if the store offers a discount when buying in bulk, mentally or use your mobile phone to make sure you get an attractive price.

4. 

   To many different stores. Each store has its own advantages, some of you should take advantage of. If you go shopping a few times a week, the cost of gasoline can go up a lot as you go around the city. However, the cost will not be much if you only shop once a month. You should buy wholesale at a discount store and retail at another grocery store. Alternatively you can go to the farmer's market during high season to buy cheaper food.
   • Plan to shop in two or three stores.
   • You should only shop at four stores.
   • Allow two or four hours in total to make a purchase.

5. 

   Cash payment. This is not required, but you should pay with cash for each shopping trip. Paying cash gives you control over how much you spend, as well as estimating whether you can stick to an estimated budget. advertisement

Part 3 of 3: Furniture Arrangement

1. 

   Store food in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Shopping for an entire month can overwhelm your storage. To keep the food fresh and well preserved, you should store the food in the freezer first, then refrigerate the food, and the rest in the cupboard. If there are children in your home, you can ask them to arrange them for you!

2. 

   Organize your wardrobe. While you are storing your food, make arrangements for what you will need for that month. For example, certain foods such as bananas and spinach are often perishable and need to be eaten first, while items such as apples, oranges, and celery can last. You should place your food in front of the refrigerator / freezer to remind yourself not to leave it for long.
   • Experienced consumers often plan their meals by preparing spoiled fast foods first, and perishable foods can be consumed later during that month.

3. 

   Divide food into sections when stored in the refrigerator. In addition to prioritizing fast food that goes bad during storage, break it into smaller sections. This saves a lot of cooking time and everything is in place. This step is especially useful for frozen foods because some foods cannot be defrosted, divided for processing, and then refrozen to make the food unsafe or lose its nutrients. matter. Eg:
   • Divide certain foods, such as cornflakes, into separate freezer bags, in sufficient amounts to prepare one meal. This way you only need to thaw one bag to cook a meal and the others stay in the freezer until needed.
   • If you buy or make pizza dough, divide the dough into separate small, frozen cubes so that when you need to make a pizza you only need to thaw one dough and the rest remains in the freezer.

4. 

   Learn how to properly refrigerate food. When shopping once a month, you need to research which foods can be bought in bulk and refrigerated to use slowly. You can freeze most foods as long as you know how to store them correctly. Some guidelines include:
   • Pack food carefully so that no air can get into food contact bags. This step helps maintain quality and prevents cold burns.
   • Wash and dry all fruits and vegetables before refrigerating.
   • Keep in mind that the liquid will expand as it coagulates, so use a bag that is larger than the size of your food so it won't crack.
   • Consider how long the food is refrigerated. Some foods like whole chicken can be frozen for up to a year, while others like canned meat have a shelf life of 1 to 2 months.

5. 

   Keep updating your food reserves and rearrange food. Over the course of a month, you should keep an eye on what you have stored in your inventory while you use it to keep track of what you've eaten and what's left in your cupboard. Find items that are about to expire and arrange them in front of the refrigerator or pantry. If food is spoiled earlier than planned, be careful not to buy it again next month or use it to prepare the food as soon as possible.

6. 

   Evaluation and adaptation. When starting to shop only once a month, you will run into troubles and malfunctions. You can apply some additional advice to items you forgot to buy, but try not to make these "emergency shopping" a habit. You should be especially cautious in following the purchase list when shopping arises, and making purchases notes for more of those items on the shopping list next month. advertisement

Advice

• If you are serious about shopping once a month, you should buy a bigger refrigerator. Consider buying an energy-efficient refrigerator that has large capacity and uses little electricity.
• You can combine this savings with cooking once a month for maximum efficiency and savings.
• Note the problem that happened when checking out at the counter. Prices change frequently and you run the risk of accidentally being charged higher. You should observe each item as the clerk checks and make sure the price matches the advertisement.